Fake-Out Dole Whip

So, Disneyland just celebrated 60 wonderful years bringing joy as one of the happiest places on earth! That deserves a celebration!!

When I figured out it WAS Disneyland's 60th, and many seemed to be celebrating, I had to figure out what I was going to do. We had been out of town, didn't have much in the house to eat, so I had to do some quick thinking & planning on the fly.

I got some spaghetti & meatballs for dinner to cover Lady & the Tramp. Good call! But I've been seeing this thing of Dole Whips pop up on Pinterest now & then.

Since I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 4-years-old, I don't remember anything about Dole Whips, but it sounded delicious. And it seems to be some sort of rite-of-passage at Disney. So I thought I'd whip some up. (HA! See what I did there?)

(Check out how we celebrated on the fly HERE)

As I look at other copycat recipes, I did the best I could on the fly.

So...here's what I did:

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FAKE-OUT DOLE WHIPS

Ingredients:

~ 1 bags Dole frozen pineapple chunks, slightly thawed
~ 1 small can crushed pineapple
~ 12 oz pineapple juice
~ 1/2 T lemon juice
~ 1/2 T lime juice
~ 8 oz tub Cool Whip, (mostly) thawed (get an extra tub for topping later)
~ 1/2 qt vanilla ice cream, slightly softened




Directions:

* In a food processor, place the slightly thawed pineapple chunks into the insert & purée until broken down & creamy

* Add in the crushed pineapple & continue to break down in the food processor

* Pour in about half of the pineapple juice, the lemon juice, and the lime juice; continue to blend together

* Add in the Cool Whip & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the vanilla ice cream & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the last bit of pineapple juice & continue to blend fully

* When all is blended together & creamy, transfer into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; place in the freezer for about 3 hours to allow to set up

* After set up time, remove from freezer & scoop into cups or glasses, top with additional whipped topping, and add a long spoon


Yield: about 4

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When I made this, I doubled this recipe (as looking at the above ingredient pic). So I had to make a couple of batches. And it was SO worth it! My hubby even asked for seconds!

We wanted to get a fresh pineapple to slice up & garnish with, but the store didn't have any when we went. I know we want to do that in the future, too!

Also, I thought it would be amazing to have a Captain Jack Sparrow Dole Whip by adding some rum to it. YUM! Sounds so good.

And, for any of the Run Disney fans out there, I thought about using frozen vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the ice cream AND adding a banana to it for after your run. You get to cool off, have a not-so-bad treat for your run, and get your protein for muscle rebuilding. BOOM!

What a wonderful way to finish off a Disney-inspired meal for Disneyland's birthday! Can't wait to do it again!

ENJOY!

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Update:  

There's been a DisneyBound challenge going thru the month of August. Today, Day 16, is dressing in an outfit that is inspired by a Disney snack. So, I chose to dress as the Dole Whip (Float).

I did a cosTUTUme in the morning, since I'm promoting the DE-FEET HUNGER RUN/WALK 5K race at church, so I did a tutu-style racing outfit. I wanted to run that morning, but was having trouble just getting around. Ugh. But I still imagined having a Dole Whip after my run. You know...the protein one I had imagined.

Well, after I got home, I changed into a regular outfit (still Dole Whip inspired) & decided to make the protein Dole Whip anyway. I had most of the stuff on hand, so here's what I did:

PROTEIN DOLE WHIP FLOAT

Ingredients:

~ 1 bag Dole frozen pineapple chunks

~ 1 small can crushed pineapple (optional)

~ 6 oz pineapple juice

~ 1/2 T lemon juice

~ 1/2 T lime juice

~ 8 oz tub Sugar Free Cool Whip, still frozen; divided

~ approx 2 C vanilla Greek yogurt

~ 2 T honey

~ 1 ripe banana, peeled

Directions:

* In a food processor, place the frozen pineapple chunks into the insert & purée until broken down & creamy

* If using, add in the crushed pineapple & continue to break down in the food processor

* Pour in the pineapple juice, the lemon juice, and the lime juice; continue to blend together

* Add in the half of the Cool Whip & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the Greek yogurt & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the peeled, ripe banana & continue to blend fully

* Add in the honey & allow to blend all together

* When all is blended together & creamy, transfer into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; place in the freezer for about 3 hours to allow to set up

* After set up time, remove from freezer & scoop into cups or glasses, top with additional whipped topping, and add a long spoon (add a maraschino cherry & a little paper umbrella, too - optional)

Yield: about 4

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My hubby & I tried it. It was pretty darn good! And you know what? It will be a welcome treat to cool down with after a run or workout. 

ENJOY!

(again)

Fake-Out Kraut

You have have that moment when you are closing in on dinnertime, then realize you forgot to go pick up that one thing the store was out of when you initially went? Ever had that moment when you're trying to compensate for it, or at least work on something comparable?

Yeah. That happened to me. Probably more often that it should happen, but this was one of those times...

We were planning on having bratwurst for dinner. One of the the things we fix up with with our brats is kraut. Most have sauerkraut, but we enjoy a nice sweet kraut. However, when we did our weekly run to the store, the store was out of our sweet kraut! The horror!! So I'd planned on heading back to the store to pick some up...but just never got back out. Oops!

As I began to prep for dinner & making sure we had everything, it hit me we had no kraut. D'oh!
What was one to do? My hubby seriously wants his kraut with his brats!

Well, it hit me: I had some ingredients I needed to use that could work for some kraut! YAY!

I didn't use very much of the coleslaw mix I had gotten for the IRISH BACON & BEANS STEW the other night, and wasn't sure what I was going to make with the rest of the slaw mix. Could I make coleslaw. Sure. Could I save it for more toppings of something like tacos? Of course. But they are so predictable. But I might have to go ahead & resort to it.

But...
Kraut is tangy, fermented cabbage! Shredded cabbage!! I have shredded cabbage right now!!!

I did some research to see if I could make some quick kraut without having to take weeks & months to ferment it. I did find a couple of recipes to help me out. Whew! And I just happen to have some of the extra ingredients, too! YAY!

So I faked some kraut for our brats.

Here's what I did:

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FAKE-OUT KRAUT

Ingredients:

* 4 C coleslaw mix
* 1/4 C water
* 1/2 C apple cider
* 2 T white wine vinegar
* 3 T balsamic vinegar
* 1 T white vinegar
* 1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
* 1 small sweet onion, diced OR 1/2 C dried minced onion
* 1 1/2 T brown sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T granulated sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T salt (kosher or sea - I used sea salt since it's my fave to use)
* 1 T caraway seed (optional)


Directions:

~ In a medium saucepan, add the oil & allow to heat on medium high heat for a moment, then add the onion

~ If using onion, allow to cook thru until beginning to be translucent; if using dried minced onion, allow cook for just a moment as it reconstitutes a bit

~ Add in the water, cider, vinegars, salt and sugars (if using); bring to a boil

~ Lower the heat on the burner, then add in the coleslaw mix, about a handful at a time, with the caraway seed (if using) & stir to coat the cabbage

~ Allow to simmer on the lowered heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally & then flattening the mixture down, with the back of your cooking utensil, to be more compact to resemble the pressing down during actual fermentation

~ The size of the cabbage will reduce by half, and if it appears to be drying out, keep adding a little more moisture to it: water or cider & a dash of vinegar (of choice)

~ Once it's reduced by half & looking like kraut, remove from the heat & get ready to serve


Yield: approximately 2 Cups - servings depend on how you use it

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It wasn't too bad & worked in a major pinch! Plus, the carrot & mixed cabbage made it a beautiful topping.

Grilled bratwurst on whole wheat bun, topped with
sweet pickle relish, fake-out kraut, honey mustard & shredded cheese

You can also use apple cider vinegar, too. If you want a richer color of this kraut, or if it's the only thing you have on hand, red wine vinegar could work, too.

So if you are needing kraut, but don't have weeks to ferment your own & want to make some on your own to hurry things along, here you go!

It would sure give a different option for your next Oktoberfest, or anytime, really! Amm-i-rite?

ENJOY!

Irish Creme Tea Latte'

As I continue to research recipes & cultures, I'm always excited to find something new to try...even a tweak to something...and something quick, too.

Stay with me, if you will...

This one is much like the TINGLING LEPRECHAUN I just recently shared, but this time, it's tea. It's Irish-inspired! It's delicious! And it's a shortcut...like I do.


So I found a flavor combo that is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, or anytime, really. Like most of my afternoons, lately.

Here's what I did:

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IRISH CREME TEA LATTE'

Ingredients:

* 1 T honey (preferably local) or agave
* 1 t ground cardamom
* Irish Creme creamer (I used Bailey's, of course, but International Delight is good, too)
* Milk
* 1-4 Irish Breakfast tea bags, depending how strong you want the tea (I used Barry's brand)
* 1 t vanilla extract (optional)


Directions:

~ in a large mug, add in the honey, cardamom, and the vanilla (if using)

~ fill the mug about 1/4 of the way up with the Irish Creme creamer

~ fill the rest of the mug up with the milk, *maybe leaving about a half inch at the top

~ heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high

~ once the milk/cream drink is super hot, add in the tea bag(s) in to the milk to steep for about 3-5 minutes

~ when time is up, remove the tea bag(s), carefully squeeze the access liquid back into the drink, and discard the tea bag(s)

~ stir the tea really well

~ relax & sip the deliciousness


Yield: 1

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*Note: If you have a milk-frother, take a few seconds to use it in the latte'. Seriously. That's why I left a little room at the top of the mug. If you don't want or need to froth your latte', just fill the mug to the top with the milk.

After being frothed; a delicious & fluffy tea latte'

If you want to froth your latte', but don't have a milk-frother, and want to have the frothy foam on the latte', here's a bit of a tweak you can try if you have a mason jar:
Proceed with the first 2 steps, but then only fill the mug with milk until the whole mug is only half full. Heat up the mug in the microwave for about 1 to 1 & a half minutes. Begin to steep the tea, and then try this SPEEDY FROTHING METHOD! Plus, it will probably give you enough to fix two of these delightful drinks to share with a friend.

The flavors mixed all together are delicious!! And will make you want to be in the Emerald Isle while enjoying your newfound tea! You should enjoy it with a delightful slice of APPLE IRISH CREAM CAKE! Trust me. You're welcome!

ENJOY!

Strawberry Icebox Cheesecake - A Healthier Take

The last several months, I have been trying to find more super-easy, total fake out kind of recipes for meals or desserts.

Pinterest is the PERFECT place to go, of course. And I also wanted some simpler-times type of old school inspired stuff to try. The very June-Cleaver-type of appearance...but with the "I Love Lucy" kind of outcome/spin. That's kind of how I work!

I discovered these old icebox cake recipes. I hadn't had a chance to make any yet, but was so wanting to try at least one! So, I started searching out several.

You know what? So many I found used cookies, pudding/custard, candy...all the makings for guilt-induced feelings from gorging on something SO decadent! And...I've got a weakness for decadent.

What could I do to make this decadent dessert not make me feel so bad for all the hard work I've been doing with getting in shape & running. I don't want to feel like I need to run 10 miles to work off a scoop of dessert, especially when I've barely run 5 miles at once.

We are trying to eat better at our house, anyway. So, I begin to plan what this super easy & relatively good-for-you dessert might actually look like.

Well, here's what I did:

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STRAWBERRY ICEBOX CHEESECAKE

A Healthier Take

Ingredients:

* 1 32 oz. tub of Fat Free Greek Yogurt - Vanilla

* 2 boxes sugar free/fat free cheesecake Jell-O instant pudding mix

* 9 low fat honey graham crackers - halved (to make 18 squares)

* 1 32 oz. tub of frozen sliced strawberries in sugar, thawed (the only bad part of the whole thing)

* 1 8 oz. tub fat free Cool Whip topping, thawed

* several strawberries, rinsed & halved (optional for topping)

Directions:

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine the entire tub of Greek yogurt & both boxes of pudding mix; stir well (it will be VERY thick)

2. Lightly spray a baking or trifle dish, about 8x8, with cooking spray (either butter or vegetable)

3. Line the bottom of the dish with 9 graham squares

4. CAREFULLY use a spoon or spoonula to spread about half of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the graham layer; don't forget this mixture is THICK, so spread carefully

5. Spoon about half of the sliced strawberries in their syrup over the cheesecake layer; try to make it as even as possible

6. Repeat steps 3-5

7. Once all the layers are in the dish, spoon & carefully spread the whipped topping over the top strawberry layer

8. If using fresh strawberries for the top, rinse & cut in half or into quarters & arrange on the whipped topping layer as desired

9. Cover & place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, and probably up to 12 hours; usually it would be in the fridge overnight - just let it all soak & allow the graham crackers to make a soft crust

10. Serve

Yield: about 9-20 (depending on how small you make the pieces)

** NOTE: If you feel the cheesecake mixture is TOO thick to work with, add about half a cup skim milk to help thin it out & still not take away from how good it is for

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See? Pretty, delicious, and you won't feel guilty about having a big piece of this!

And it went over SO well!! A total win!

It's also given me inspiration to try another like this. When I make it, I promise to share!

ENJOY!

Easy-Parm Cheesy 15-Minute (or less) Meal

We had just come back home from a long weekend out of town the afternoon beforehand. We hadn't been to the store yet. There was nothing for dinner. Oh yeah...we were short on time as it was getting fairly late. Plus, my hubby had a meeting to be at that evening. Time was short & of the essence!

I decided I would head to the store & figure out something I might be able to do quickly. Pasta is a pretty good dinner to fit that, and the kiddos are all OK with that meal, too. So, I went shopping.

Since we try to save money, too...I headed to our local Walmart. *sigh* You know what? They were out of several things we would usually have with our bi-weekly pasta dinner. Figures. I'd already picked up many of the items, so I didn't want to put everything else back. We would use it eventually. So, even in my exhausted, welcome-back-to-reality state of mind, I had to think quickly of what I could get that I could throw together & make sure the whole family had SOMETHING! And the brain wheels began to turn...

Knorr's has started touting using their side products as main dishes. Just a few additions, badda-bing, badda-boom, badda-dinner! We have Knorr's Sides often enough & really like them! Plus...they are only $1.00 per package at Walmart. So, I stuck with the pasta idea & got the Parmesan version of the side. And then I built up a speedy quick meal that was pretty, delicious, pretty delicious, and FAST!

Here's what I did:

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EASY-PARM CHEESY 15-MINUTE (or less) MEAL

(from start to finish)

Ingredients:

~ 2 pkg Knorr's Pasta Sides: Parmesan
~ 1 pkg smoked sausage, sliced (we used turkey with a non-pork eater)
~ 1-2 red bell pepper, rinsed, deseeded & thinly sliced *
~ 1 bag green beans (to be steamed, so we got pre-packaged for time)
~ 1 loaf Italian bread from the bakery


Directions:

Read directions on the package of Knorr's; since using more than one package, use slightly less of water & milk asked for (I used 3 packages, so I tried to adjust as such)

Slice the sausage, into about 1/2 inch slices, and slice the bell pepper into strips

When placing the liquid in the large pot to begin boiling, keep an eye on it while preparing other to fix the other ingredients

Start heating a large skillet on the stove & place a table spoon of olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray to coat

Turn your oven on the high setting of broil, and * place your bell pepper strips in one layer on a lightly sprayed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt (or table salt if you don't have sea salt)

Prepare to get your green bean bag into the microwave

By now, your liquid should be boiling, your skillet should be good & hot, and your oven should be ready...

Open your Knorr's envelops & empty them into the boiling liquid, stir and let sit, but make sure to stir once in a while so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot

Place the sausage slices into the skillet for a couple of minutes. Turn them once in a while being careful not to burn them.

Put the baking sheet of bell peppers into the oven to roast for just a few minutes; turn on the oven light to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get too dark...but you want them deliciously tender

Start your microwave & steam those green beans for about 7 minutes


OK...everything is good & going now! The pasta, sausage, peppers & green beans have all been started about the same time!

Take these 7-ish minutes to slice your bread to the thickness you desire. Unless you bought pre-sliced. If that's the case, it's one less step!

After about 5 minutes, your pasta may be good & tender (check to make sure); remove from the heat, give a quick stir & allow to set for a couple of minutes.

When the green beans are done (you'll know with the microwave probably telling you), you can turn off the heat to the skillet & pull out the bell pepper strips from the oven.

Guess what? BOOM! Dinner is DONE! The meal is ready to serve: Plate it up with a few sausage on the pasta (or you can mix them together), get some peppers & green beans on that plate, and then add a slice of bread. Bing-Bang-Beautiful!

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It seems like a lot going on up there, but prep time probably only takes 5 minutes & you can have everything else done & served up in the next 10 minutes! You may not even need the whole 15 minutes! I even made a gallon of stove-brewed tea in that time, too!

And, it's not horrible for you, either.

It smelled great, it tasted great & there were hardly any leftovers! I think it was a winner-winner-pasta dinner!!

I'm now excited to play with some more of Knorr's sides to see what I can make for another speedy-quick dinner!

Game On!

ENJOY!

Rich & Creamy Cheater Hot Chocolate

My family began a tradition where, in the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas, each family member of the household would draw a number (before Thanksgiving) to decide which order we would go in to watch their Christmas movie & enjoy a Christmas treat of choice. Then the whole family partakes in the family member's indulgence.

When my turn came around, I picked one of my very favorite Christmas movies (based on my favorite children's book), "The Polar Express." Now, I was going to do a treat mixture of gingerbread cookies with eggnog. But when I realized my movie still hadn't been chosen & I had the chance to pick it...you gotta have hot chocolate with this movie!

So I took in the best of all of it! I brought back my Eggnog Mousse (recipe HERE) topped with my Gingerbread Streusel (recipe HERE). Since that's all edible, I made my drink of choice be hot chocolate!

My hubby had a pretty good idea of getting pre-made chocolate milk & heating it up. OK...not a bad thought. But I got thinking...this needs to be a decadent chocolate drink. But there wasn't a lot of set up time. So, here's what I made:

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RICH & CREAMY CHEATER HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients:

* half gallon pre-made chocolate milk
* 6-8 packets hot chocolate mix (without marshmallows)


Directions:

~ in a large pot, pour in the half gallon of chocolate milk

~ heat the milk on medium to medium-high heat to just boiling, stirring occasionally

~ once the milk has just hit boiling, reduce heat to lo to simmer & add in the hot chocolate packets

~ whisk vigorously until hot chocolate mix is dissolved

~ begin to ladle into mugs

OR

~ fill microwave-safe mugs with pre-made chocolate milk

~ place in microwave on high for one & a half to two minutes

~ pour in 1 hot chocolate packet into each mug, and stir vigorously



~ garnish your hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired

~ serve


Yield: 6-8

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Oh-me, oh-my! This was so rich & chocolatey! And perfect for a super cold night with the family!

You're welcome.

Make it a cheater mocha! Pour in the chocolate milk instead of creamer with your coffee & stir in the hot chocolate packet. YUM!

ENJOY!

Lazy Lou Lasagna

Lately, I've been trying to find super easy & super fast dishes. But the cheater kind of dishes...you know: any dish that looks like you spent all day, but it really didn't take any time &/or very little effort. In a total "homefaker" sort of way.

My family enjoys pasta night. One of the few dinners that EVERYONE actually enjoys.
In the last few months, we've picked up also serving a St. Louis delicacy: toasted ravioli.

Now we have had toasted ravioli before, but the 3 years we lived in StL, we learned how passionate the city & surrounding areas are about things like gooey butter cake & toasted ravioli.

Most of us enjoy the toasted ravioli. And we get a 4-cheese kind. Usually, we don't have any left over.

Well, in the midst of looking for "easy recipes", I came across a fake-out lasagna recipe. (recipe HERE) However, as a family who has to do what we can, purchasing & using a lot of organic just didn't work for us. And...I didn't want to fix up the ravioli, either. I needed something even easier...

So, after I studied the above recipe, I decided to pair down what could be done to achieve something close to the same thing. And I knew that the toasted ravioli went over pretty well...so...

Well...I cheated in a lot of ways!

But, here's what I did:

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LAZY LOU LASAGNA

Ingredients:

~ 1 lb. ground beef
~ 1/8 C minced onion
~ 48 oz (or 2 24 oz) jar(s) red sauce (I used 2 jars Prego)
~ 40 oz (2 20 oz. boxes) toasted ravioli
~ 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
~ 1 C shredded Italian-blend cheese
~ 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese, divided


Directions:

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. brown the meat & add the minced onion during browning; drain & rinse

3. while beef is browning, warm the red sauce on lo

4. once meat is rinsed, add to the red sauce, stir & simmer

5. spray a 9x13" dish or pan with cooking spray

6. spread a thin layer of the meat sauce covering the bottom of the dish/pan

7. place a single layer of the toasted ravioli, side-by-side, on top of the sauce layer

9. add a thin layer of both, mozzarella & Italian-blend cheeses, on top of the ravioli

10. Repeat steps 6-9 until you reach the top of the baking dish/pan (mine had 3 layers)

11. Add one more layer of sauce on top

12. sprinkle with half of the grated parmesan cheese

13. cover the dish with foil (use either non-stick or spray the foil with cooking spray)

14. place in the oven for about 45 minutes

15. remove the foil & place back in the oven for another 15 minutes (I placed on broil for about 5 minutes, but wished I'd done the extra 15...but we were in a hurry)

16. pull out the lasagna, sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese & allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes

17. Serve it up

Yield: 6-8 servings

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Take note that this dish is HEAVY! It's probably not good for you, either. But it turned out pretty darn good! And for my kiddos, who hate to try new things & have been dreading this dish, they actually were OK with this one! As a matter of fact, my youngest gave it a 7.8 out of 10! That's a big deal, yo.

My hubby was OK with it, too. He thought maybe the non-toasted version of ravioli might be better, but it was worth the try!

I was bracing myself for it being a "You'll eat it & you'll like it!" kind of meal. But I didn't have to force anyone! Just coaxing them to try it first was the only big step my kids needed!

Plus, my StL friends might find this one interesting with a take on toasted ravioli! And I cannot believe how easy it really was!

Hope you like it, too!

Also, for a vegetarian version, you can leave out the meat, just use the cheese ravioli, and make sure to use a heavy-on-veggie sauce (like one with mushrooms).

ENJOY!

Fake-Out S'Mores

Hey, everyone! Happy National S'mores Day! *glitter confetti cannon*

Have you had the chance to have some s'mores yet this year? Many look at them as a summer staple to go with camping & such. Since there is toasty fire involved & marshmallows make me think of hot chocolate, I like to think of them as more of a fall-season staple. Either way, they are delicious anytime you can work eating them!

If you remember, I made summer camping trail mix that is based on s'mores. (link to the recipe HERE) But I know it's not right in line with a true s'more.

Not too long ago, my family went on vacation to Colorado. We stayed at the Keystone Resort. We found out that every Wednesday night, they offer a free-to-all campfire social. The campfire social does have food available for purchase...but...they have FREE offerings of s'mores! Being on a budget, we just took in the s'mores. But there's were...uh...er...um..."different".

They used a cheater way of part of it. You could still roast your own marshmallows, but they appeared to have a Nature Valley sponsorship happening. So it wasn't really graham crackers & chocolate squares...it was more like granola thins with a chocolate-coated layer of chocolate.

Don't get me wrong, still pretty good. And my daughter was totally taken by these little snack squares. And while the boys were off doing their own camping thing, my daughter & I decided to fake some s'mores one night. We used the Yahoo! Shine version (you know...the one that made folks grumpy - link HERE) to inspire & make some of our own munchies at home.

Here's what I did:

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FAKE-OUT S'MORES

Ingredients:

~ 1 box Nature Valley Granola Thins (we used the dark chocolate variety this time)
~ 1 pk Jet-Puffed StackerMallows

Directions:

* Place oven rack as far to the top as possible & turn the oven onto broil (I set mine on HIGH)

* Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or lay down some parchment paper

* Open up individual granola thins & place on the cookie sheet with chocolate side up

* Place one stackermallow on top of each chocolate granola thin

* Place the cookie sheet onto the top rack in the oven

* DO NOT WALK AWAY! Watch for the browning of the marshmallow - I left mine in for maybe 2 minutes!

* Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven once the marshmallow has the perfect golden-to-brown color for you

* Either place a separate granola thin on top of each marshmallow OR stack up a marshmallow layer on top of another marshmallow layer for a thicker s'more

* Squish together & consume

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Does this totally make up for a good campfire s'more? No. But they were still pretty tasty!

Don't get me wrong...I'd rather have the graham crackers, chocolate squares & fire-toasted marshmallow...but sometimes you just gotta make something else work.

So here is just another way to celebrate National S'mores Day.

ENJOY!

Easy Irish Cream Pistachio Mousse

So, I got thinking...

On St. Patrick's Day, everyone mixes up Irish fare & just eating things that are green or green in color. Well, I decided to make a semi-Irish dessert based on a recipe I've already used!

The Easy Egg Nog Mousse (CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE) has been adapted for the Irish holiday. So I bring you:

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EASY IRISH CREAM PISTACHIO MOUSSE

Ingredients:

1 large box pistachio instant pudding
2 C Irish Cream creamer - (I used Bailey's non-alcoholic Irish Cream coffee creamer)
1 small (8 oz) tub whipped topping - like Cool Whip

Directions:

Place all pudding mix and Irish Cream together in a medium to large bowl. 

Whisk together until completely mixed & set in refrigerator for about 5 minutes to let set slightly.

Remove from refrigerator, then slowly add in the whipped topping by folding it in.

Mix all together very well!

OK to serve from this point, or let set for longer in the refrigerator.

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Yep! That's it, people! And it is a taste of heaven! I promise you!

ENJOY!

Easy Fake-Out Egg Nog Mousse

My family began a brand new holiday family tradition this year. I say "tradition" since we plan on doing it for the rest of forever, or as long as we can. We put numbers in a bowl & had everyone draw a numbered slip out. That would be the order we would we would each choose a holiday movie & a Christmas treat for everyone to enjoy. We would spread it out over the month of December...or from right after Thanksgiving on.

It came to be my turn. And since someone had already chosen egg nog I decided to make an egg nog mousse (a slightly adapted recipe I found) instead & then created a gingerbread streusel since I couldn't find a recipe for one anywhere. (recipe HERE)

We have had some tiny dessert spoons tucked away for a very long time. I, then, found some tall shot glasses at Target for $1 each. So I made a trendy dessert shot that is all Christmas-y & stuff! And I turned them into tiny trifles.

For now, here is the egg nog mousse fake out I used:

EASY (FAKE-OUT) EGG NOG MOUSSE

Ingredients

1 lg pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

3 ½ C VERY cold prepared egg nog

1 sm tub whipped topping

Directions

1. Mix instant pudding mix & egg nog together, whisking for about 2 minutes

2. Let set in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes, or until set

3. Remove from the refrigerator & add in the tub of whipped topping, whisking together until fully mixed together

4. Place back into refrigerator to set until slightly firm

5. Serve

It's easy as that, folks! Then, to make the trifle, I layered the mousse with the streusel & some dehydrated tiny marshmallows!

Tiny trifle layered in tall shot glasses

So adorable, so festive, so tasty!

Or you can just place the mousse in a bowl & top with more whipped cream. Just as good!

And stay tuned for the streusel recipe coming soon...

ENJOY!

Apple Irish Cream Cake

For St. Paddy's day, recently, I wanted to find an Irish dessert. 

Getting  mint anything just wasn't cutting it! So...I researched... 

Then I came across an idea for apple cake. But I didn't have much chance to actually go get the ingredients. However...I discovered that I could cheat making one with a spice cake mix & apple pie filling! Guess what! I had both!! Woo Hoo! So I found a recipe involving both ingredients & adapted a more authentic-like, Irish-inspired apple spice cake!

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APPLE IRISH CREAM CAKE

(cheater cake using cake mix & pie filling)

1 box spice cake mix
1 can apple pie filling
6 T butter + 2 extra, softened
2/3 C sour cream
1/2 C Irish cream creamer (I used Bailey's non-alcoholic coffee creamer)
3 T buttermilk + 1 tsp extra
3 eggs
1 apple, cored & thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith with it's tartness)
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T apple pie spice
1 tsp honey or agave
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Empty contents of the spice cake mix, apple pie filling, 6 T butter, sour cream, Irish cream coffee creamer, 3 T buttermilk, and eggs into a medium size bowl. Hand mix until all contents are well blended & is completely moistened.

In a small bowl, put in the leftover butter, buttermilk, plus the vanilla & almond extracts (if using), brown sugar, apple pie spice, honey or agave, and the lemon juice. Mix well together & then add in the thin apple slices & coat. Take your rings off & use your hands to work the apples throughout the mixture.

Grease or spray bundt cake pan (I sprayed mine with Baker's Joy). Use about half of the apple slices & arrange them in a circle at the bottom of the pan. This will end up being the top, so think about how the top of your cake will look when arranging the apple slices. Once the slices are arranged how you would like them, spoon in the cake batter evenly around the pan. Now that the batter is in the pan, covering the arranged apple slices, use the other half of the apple slices to arrange for the underside of the cake by carefully setting the slices on top of the batter (like in the picture, above).

Once the cake pan & batter are both fully prepared, place in the oven. It will need to bake about an hour, depending on the oven. Check it at 45-50 minutes; it could take up to about an hour & 15 minutes. Keep doing the knife or toothpick test to make sure it's done.

When it is time to pull the cake out of the oven, let cake set in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. After that time, and some cooling has taken place, carefully turn the cake out onto a cake plate or cooling rack.

This cake is best served warm...and should be very, very moist! Slice & enjoy!

I'm sure you could add in actual Bailey's, too. Still would be yummy!

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If you want to do a caramel or whiskey glaze for the top, you can...but there is no need for it! I left it as is...

And my family has fallen in love with this apple cake!! I will be making it again. And beyond just St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you love it as much as we do!

ENJOY!